SAM Engine: Model-based Framework for Scalability Assessment

Abstract

Today's way of life includes increasing amounts of information, and therefore handling and processing of information. Almost everything you do involves some sort of a computer somewhere, and many businesses have implemented comprehensive computer systems into their corporative structure, to serve both employees and customers. But if a new service is introduced to the users, or a new group of users are introduced to an existing service, how do you know if the performance will be satisfying? To deal with such questions, a method called The Scalability Assessment Method (SAM) has been developed. The Scalability Assessment Method is a general procedure for evaluating the scalability of a system architecture. Other projects have applied SAM to real reference systems, and their results have shown that SAM is a method that can be trusted to give credible predictions. Until recently, dedicated software tools that support the SAM method have been absent, and the researchers have been using i.a. spreadsheets in an ad hoc approach to the problems. Therefore, a SAM software package is in development. The SAM Engine (SAMe) is a Java program developed in this project, with an intuitive user interface that is enabling a non-expert user to apply the method on a desired architecture. This report documents the development of the prototype SAM Engine (SAMe), and how the program supports the SAM method. Keywords: Performance evaluation, scalability, simulation, Structure and Performance, SAM.